If you’re looking for a more cost-effective way to measure power consumption, and you’re only interested in certain appliances, a smart plug could be for you. The Wyze Plug can be bought in a pair for $20, and anything you plug into that socket can be measured. This works for things like your TV, Xbox, microwave, etc. The downside is you’re not going to be measuring your entire house’s energy consumption, but that’s what the other options are for.
The Wyze Plug comes with some cool features, too. If you’re on vacation somewhere, you can actually set your plug to a “vacation” mode that will randomly turn your stuff on and off to make it look like somebody is at home using it. It responds to both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, so your heavy hitters are covered. You can put all of the plugs into the Wyze app and it works exactly the same as the other apps mentioned before.
The main difference here is you won’t have a main hub installed into your breaker box. Eventually, the cost of plugs will overcome the initial cost of having an energy monitor installed, so don’t go overboard.
If you’re a fan of Husqvarna Motorcycles and in the market for a new pair of sneakers, then you’re in luck. On July 4, 2023, Husky and Puma officially released their latest collaboration, the Puma Nitro 2 Husqvarna Edition all-distance running shoes. These shoes are part of Husqvarna’s 2023 Team Wear collection and are already worn by Husqvarna’s Factory Racing Teams in motorsport.
The Puma Nitro 2 Husqvarna Edition shoes feature the iconic colors of Husqvarna, with shades of blue and yellow inspired by the Swedish flag. The design includes both darker and lighter shades of blue, as well as bright yellow accents, including the Puma logo on the toe. The shoes also incorporate white and silver elements, such as the Husqvarna logo on the other side of the toe.
Puma has designed the Nitro 2 shoes with its proprietary Nitro Foam, which offers excellent responsiveness and cushioning while being lightweight. The sole utilizes Puma’s Pumagrip rubber compound, providing grip on any surface. The heel area is reinforced with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for extra stability, similar to dedicated motorcycle boots.
The Puma Nitro 2 Husqvarna Edition shoes have a timeless design that looks modern and ageless. They are exclusively available through authorized Husqvarna Motorcycles dealers.
Pricing and availability may vary by region, so it’s best to contact your local authorized Husqvarna dealer for accurate information.
Whether you’re tired of looking at a particular Steam game and want to banish it to the ether, you can do so easily from your Steam library menu.
Daniel Trock/SlashGear
Open the Steam client.
Switch to the Library tab.
Find the game you want to hide in your game list.
Right-click on the game’s name to open its options.
Highlight or select “Manage.”
Select “Hide this game.”
With that quick click, the game is hidden from sight, relegated to the Hidden collection. It’s still technically in your library, but it won’t appear in your game list or in library searches. If you visit the game’s store page, though, it will still show you owning it, just in case you were worried about purchasing it twice by accident.
If you want to restore a hidden game to the regular library, it’s equally simple.
Open the Steam client.
Switch to the Library tab.
Click the View button in the top taskbar.
In the drop-down menu, click “Hidden games.”
In the Hidden collection, right-click on the game you want to unhide.
Highlight or select Manage.
Click “Remove from hidden.”
With that, the game is restored to its prior spot in your library, once again in plain sight and easily accessed. You can hide and unhide games as much as you like, so don’t hesitate to banish a game if it’s annoying you.
If you’re looking to customize your Apple products, you have plenty of options from Casetify. This brand offers a wide range of designs for different Apple devices, including geometric patterns and themes inspired by popular brands and media, such as “The Mandalorian” and “Spider-Man.”
One of the solid options from Casetify is their Flexi band. The Flexi band is compatible with almost all Apple Watch models and features a buckle to keep it securely fastened on your wrist. As the name suggests, these bands are flexible and comfortable to wear. They are also water and sweat resistant. An added bonus for those who are environmentally conscious is that Casetify’s Flexi bands are partially made from recycled material sourced from old iPhone cases.
If you prefer a more luxurious style, Casetify’s selection may be too casual for your taste. Additionally, the recycled Flexi material may not offer the same level of comfort as a leather or nylon band. However, with their wide variety of styles, chances are you can find something that suits your preferences on Casetify’s website. Many of their watch bands are also available on Amazon for around $50 each. Some popular choices include checked daisies, cheetah dots, and a stylish petit floral on black.
If you’re a fan of bright colors on motorcycles, you’ll be excited to hear about Ural’s latest Special Project color package for the Gear Up. The 2023 Gear Up Standard 2WD initially came in a standard color called International Klein Blue. To make it more eye-catching, Ural took inspiration from nature once again and created the Green Tanager accent package. This package includes lime green accent pieces such as a headlight bezel, luggage rack, skid plate, lime green badges, and lime green tanager drawing decals. The result is a vibrant and summery look.
The name “Green Tanager” comes from two birds, the glistening green tanager and the green-headed tanager, both of which have similar color schemes. The glistening green tanager has lime green feathers across its body, while the green-headed tanager features a green head transitioning into bright blue feathers on its wings, with pops of neon yellow, black, and acid green under the wings and toward the rear.
If you love this color combination and own a Gear Up or plan to buy one, you can purchase the Green Tanager accent package from your local Ural dealer. You have the option to have it installed by the dealer or install it yourself. The package itself costs $2,250. Adding black powder paint to the powertrain will cost an additional $1,000. A brand new 2023 Ural Gear Up Standard 2WD in International Klein Blue has an MSRP of $21,999.
If you’re someone who loves to tackle hands-on projects, then you’re probably familiar with what I call “project brain.” It’s when you become so focused on achieving a specific goal that you throw caution to the wind. Did you end up spending more money than you planned on? Maybe. But you’re determined to get the job done. That’s what matters.
In a new video series from the YouTube channel Donut, motorcycle enthusiast Jeremiah Burton has taken on a new project: transforming a Coleman Powersports minibike from Wal-Mart into a 100mph speed demon. Can he do it? Even if he doesn’t, at least they’ll have an entertaining video series to show for it.
Before reaching his goal, Jeremiah needs to understand what he’s working with. After spending some time on the dyno, he discovers that the stock bike only produces 3.47 horsepower. To hit 100mph, he estimates that he’ll need to increase the power output to around 28 horsepower. It won’t be easy, but Jeremiah is determined to prove the naysayers wrong.
With a mountain of upgraded parts, Jeremiah sets to work on the bike’s engine. He replaces the connecting rod, flywheel, side cover, cylinder head, and carburetor, among other things. The only original component he keeps is the engine case itself.
When you combine the motivation to prove doubters wrong with project brain, it’s easy to stay focused on the goal. The video series has two more parts remaining, and glimpses of the future suggest that the bike becomes significantly faster and more powerful. Will it ultimately reach 100mph? Only time will tell.
Are you planning to be in or near Mattighofen, Austria during summer, 2023? If you’re a Dakar Rally fan, a KTM fan, or both, then you should definitely make plans to check out the KTM Motohall museum in Mattighofen if you’re in the area. The museum recently opened its Legends of the Dakar exhibit in May 2023, featuring 10 different bikes that played pivotal roles in KTM’s rich Dakar history.
The exhibition, as the best such exhibitions tend to do, features both the most memorable parts of the history it’s imparting on visitors, as well as untold, behind-the-scenes stories that every moto history nerd loves to experience. Multiple eras of the Dakar Rally are represented, from the Paris-Dakar years to the South America years, not to mention the current era in Saudi Arabia.
Bikes and stories from KTM legends including Heinz Kinigadner, Fabrizio Meoni, Marc Coma, Matthias Walkner, Toby Price, and Kevin Benavides are all on proud display for visitors to enjoy up close and in person. Fabrizio Meoni took that very first Team Orange win back in 2001, and since that time, KTM Factory riders have managed to scoop up 19 victories—including the most recent one courtesy of Kevin Benavides in 2023.
15Photos
“Winning this year‘s Dakar was really the best feeling of my life. And now, to be a part of KTM‘s Legends of the Dakar makes me very proud. I am still overwhelmed, it‘s amazing,” Benavides said in a statement.
“There is no other race like it, and no feeling like winning it. I am so proud to have been an Austrian rider, on an Austrian bike with an Austrian sponsor and it is really cool that the KTM Motohall is telling these stories – especially those ones in history that we did not always get to know about in detail,” added 2018 Dakar winner Matthias Walkner.
“To talk about the history of KTM and the Dakar really makes me a bit proud. Back when I started in 1994, I could not believe the media coverage – it was so much more than I got for my world titles, and I knew it could be good for the brand. While the style and professionalism of racing has changed since then, the fundamentals of the race remain the same. It’s a big adventure,” said Heinz Kinigadner.
“There is no bigger adventure than the Dakar; the momentum and motivation it provided us back in those early years, which proved to be pivotal in the promotion of the KTM name and development of our motorcycles, has never wavered,” Pierer Mobility AG CEO Stefan Pierer added.
If you’re planning to attend, the KTM Motohall is open from Wednesday to Sunday each week, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. Starting on July 1, 2023, the Museum moves to its summer hours, which means that it will be open from Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except for national holidays.
Tickets are available online via the KTM Motohall official website, which we’ll link to in our Sources for easy access. Children under the age of 14 get in free with paying adults. Adult day passes are 13 Euros (about $14.24 at the time of writing on June 16, 2023).
Discounted tickets are available for high school students over the age of 14, college students, senior citizens, disabled visitors, and groups of 10 or more. The cost for those discounted tickets is 9.10 Euros (about $10). Additionally, family passes are available at a cost of 28 Euros (about $31) for families of two adults and up to three children, but those must be purchased in person at the KTM Motohall and cannot be purchased online. Guided tours, audio guides, and more are also available for additional charges via the KTM Motohall website.
If you’re not deeply involved in the world of motorcycles, you might not be familiar with CZ, a motorcycle manufacturer founded in Czechoslovakia in 1919. Originally a branch of Škoda Works, CZ transitioned from producing weapons to motorized bicycles in 1932. The company started making CZ-branded motorcycles in 1935 and continued to do so until the 1990s, with a brief interruption during World War II when they made machine parts for the Germans.
Now that we know a little bit about CZ’s history, let’s dive into this fascinating restoration video by the Crazy Restoration team.
The video features the restoration of a mid-60s CZ Model 453. This particular motorcycle had seen better days, with its engine locked up, extensive rust and dirt, bent wheels, and a large dent with a gash in the fuel tank. At first glance, it might seem like a lost cause.
However, the Crazy Restoration team doesn’t give up easily. Over the course of around six months, they put in countless hours of hard work, sanding, fabricating, painting, and laboring to bring this motorcycle back to life. They salvaged and reused as many parts as possible and sourced new old stock (NOS) and aftermarket parts where needed. The result of their efforts is truly impressive.
If you’re curious to see the transformation, I highly recommend watching the video. It’s a testament to the team’s dedication and a joy to witness another classic bike saved from the scrapyard.
Choosing the right riding gear depends on the weather conditions of your region. With summer in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to keep yourself cool and comfortable. French manufacturer, Bering has just the right product for you. The Squadra jacket is one of the latest offerings from the brand, boasting a stylish appearance that belies its protective features. The fitted design of the jacket makes it appear like a regular street jacket. However, it is made of Twiltex polyester fabric and features recycled fibers for the interior mesh lining, offering both comfort and protection.
The removable Alpha CE Level 1 adjustable elbow and shoulder protectors make the Squadra jacket a perfect fit for all body types. The jacket also has a dedicated pocket for CE back protectors and is PPE certified in accordance with the EN17092: 2020 standard, classified as class A, thanks to the as-standard elbow and shoulder protectors. The trousers connection loop in the jacket allows for safe and secure attachment of compatible trousers, making it a complete ensemble for riders. The jacket has two external pockets, a shoulder pocket, and a wallet pocket, offering convenient storage. Ribbing at the hips enhances the jacket’s fit and comfort.
Reflective inserts in the jacket improve visibility and promote safety for low-light riding conditions. Available in Khaki and Navy Blue colors, the jacket price is €169.99, or roughly $183 USD. With a wide range of sizes from S to 4XL, the Squadra jacket is perfect for all body types. Lastly, with all these features, the jacket offers competitive value for quality to its riders this summer season.
Unlock Your Automotive Passion and Explore the Road Ahead
